Peterson Drafting 6-Year Deal With Jags

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, March 11, 2003

The Jacksonville Jaguars are finalizing negotiations to sign Indianapolis Colts free-agent linebacker Mike Peterson to a six-year contract, two sources told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The contract will average about $3.5 million a year, said a Jaguars source who spoke on condition of anonymity. A second source, also familiar with the negotiations and speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal was expected to be signed by the end of the week.

The Jaguars, who finished 19th in total defense last year, were looking to upgrade their linebacking corps and improve their team speed during the offseason.

Peterson, entering his fifth NFL season, was the Colts' leading tackler in two of the past three seasons. He had 173 tackles last year, 43 more than anyone else on the roster.

The 6-foot-1, 234-pound Peterson attended the University of Florida, located in Gainesville _ the town where Peterson was born and still calls home.

The Jaguars have spent the last two seasons trying to get their salary cap in order. They signed free-agent wide receiver Donald Hayes earlier this week, and Peterson is expected to be the marquee signing the team makes during this offseason.

Tom Condon, Peterson's agent, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday. Earlier this week, Condon said Peterson already has visited six teams since becoming an unrestricted free agent: San Diego, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Buffalo, the New York Giants and Cincinnati.

The Colts chose Peterson in the second round of the 1999 draft, using one of the two selections they received from St. Louis as part of the trade for Marshall Faulk.

Peterson started 13 games as a rookie and had a team-high 160 tackles in 2000. He missed seven games in 2001 because of a sprained knee ligament, but he returned last year and recorded a career high in tackles.

Indianapolis chose not to place the franchise player tag on Peterson after last season because that would have meant committing at least $5.61 million to him for 2003. If the Colts had made him their transition player, they would have owed him at least $4.84 million.